''The Equinox'' is the third and final album by heralded

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

hip hop duo

Organized Konfusion Organizing or organized may refer to: * Organizing (management), a process of coordinating task goals and activities to resources * Community organizing, in which communities come together to act in their shared self-interest * Professional organi ...

. It was released in 1997 on

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Big L, Silkk the Shocker and Westside Connection. It also distributed hip hop record labels including Death Row R ...

Background

The group branched out to work with a number of outside producers, including

Diamond D Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), better known by his stage name Diamond D, is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew, abbreviated as D.I.T. ...

, Showbiz, Buckwild and

Rockwilder Dana Stinson (born February 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Rockwilder, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper. A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast hip hop artists ...

. The effort is a concept album about the lives of two Black teens. Included on the album are two ambitious tracks: "Invetro" and "Hate." The former gives voice to the unborn, with

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhy ...

and

Prince Po Lawrence Baskerville (born August 12, 1969), better known by his stage name Prince Po, is an American rapper and record producer from Queens, New York City, New York. He is a founder of Nasty Habits Entertainment. Early life Prince Po was born L ...

rhyming as unborn twins, one hoping for their mother to get an abortion, the other praying for a chance to live, respectively, while the latter features Monch and Po rhyming as white supremacists. "Invetro" follows in the same steps as "Stray Bullet" from the group's previous album, giving voices to things that can not speak.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called ''The Equinox'' "an album full of stimulating lyrics and well arranged instrumentation." ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' wrote that "the production is rhythmically and melodically expressive." The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' wrote: "Devoid of pop hooks, the album is a gem of underground economy: crisp drum tracks, thunderous bass lines and simple keyboard, horn or guitar loops."

Track listing

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Equinox, The Organized Konfusion albums 1997 albums Priority Records albums Albums produced by Rockwilder Albums produced by Buckwild